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But Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals made five times as much as it cost to run its car park, taking £1.07 million, a profit margin of 534 per cent.

East Kent Hospitals also made £1.02 million, a 175 per cent profit margin.

The consumer magazine asked for the data from the 25 largest hospital trusts in England, under the Freedom of Information Act.

Not included in the study was Addenbrooke’s in Cambridgeshire, which has previously been criticised for making £2.5 million a year in revenue from car parking charges.

Which? says that hospital trusts have to charge for car parking space to ensure resources are not diverted from healthcare.

But the organisation questioned the need for such large profit margins.

Claire Lilley, Which? health policy adviser, said: “Our research shows high charges don’t always result in high profits but, where they do, these charges should be reduced.”

A spokesman for Norfolk and Norwich told Which? that it had not increased charges in the past five years and that any revenue was diverted back into patient care.

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said: “Some NHS hospitals are making a staggering amount of money from car parking charges, and many are still not offering real discounts to those with chronic illnesses.

“Hospitals should be able to cover their costs, but they shouldn’t be allowed to use hidden charges to get themselves out of financial black holes. This effectively amounts to a tax on the sick.”

Which? is also calling for an end to unfair charges in the unregulated private parking industry.

Penalties ranged from £100 to £360, while car parking signs were often obscured or advertised defunct telephone numbers, the watchdog found.

Six councils also admitted that they set targets for the number of parking tickets issued, according to Which?.